A Good Day to Die

What a nice day outside! Its funny how a sunny, cool day can bring out a good spirit. Creation is singing the glory of its creator. I think that creation can bring beauty even on days that are overcast and rainy. But the light brings everything to life in a way that screams to stay outside. Its a good day to die.

To die to self, to wake up and walk in the light.
To put aside our needs to serve those around us.
To love in a new way that is not understandable to us because of the love of Christ.

I think today is best put into words by robbie seay:

Go outside
And praise the God who mapped the stars out in the sky
Gather ‘round with those who love and sing
He is our King

No one should be left out
No one should be left out
No one should be left out
No one should be left out
If you have air to breathe
Hear your call to sing

I just posted from andy's ipod

Learn Love

Tonight was good, just chilled alot. Hung out with Jeff for Bible Study. We were the only two there, so we had a great discussion. We were talking about Ephesians five. Talked alot about how it said imitate God, mainly because we are loved. We don't focus on that enough. We imitate God, not because of how we want to be, not because of what it will gain us, but because we feel love and grace. This led into how hard it is for us to accept grace. How do you accept grace when all you can see is your failures? Isn't that the beauty of it? That is my favorite line from anything Reliant K ever wrote:

And the beauty of Grace
is it makes life unfair

I want to react to Grace, because if we don't then we are nothing. Funny how earlier in the day Jeff had talked to me about Blue Like Jazz, how Donald Miller talked about how the first change we have to make is the one in the mirror. So let's imitate God. i love music, because outside of scripture i think it explains life better then most anything else, so here's what i think from shawn mcdonald:

So hard to fathom the pain in Your eyes
As You're watching Your children, doing what You despise
In pursuit of our own
We just go round and round
Another nail to our cause
We continue to pound
What are you, man, if you do not learn love
What are you, man, if you do not learn love

So hard to fathom, oh, the feelings inside
As You're watching Your people choosing to die
You called out a warning
To all that would hear
Saying come to Me, come to Me
And I will draw near
Learn love
I must
Learn love
Learn love
Learn love
Learn love
Learn love

The best part is where it says "You called out a warning/To all that would hear". How true is that? I want to fight, I want to give into something I don't understand, because thats why we fight, thats why we are scared. Grace envelops fully, takes us into a place that is incomprehensible. I want to hold onto what I control...pain...anger...hate...pride...but funny how peace comes only after all that is gone. Funny how falling into grace creates a new man, a new woman, whose only desire is to spread the Gospel, to bring love where it is not seen, to shine a light, to praise as if there will never again be time to praise, to release how one looks, to learn that Christ will take infirmity, pride, and worry. To learn that as men are constantly taught to fight and women to captivate, for the church, that this is what it is about. in the end it all focuses on one thing, Christ. That we have lost focus on the everyday God. Just look at this from Ephesians:

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

So wake up, sleeper, for its not you...its the power of Christ. STOP LOOKING INSIDE YOURSELF FOR POWER, ITS NOT THERE! Only Christ will give you what you need. Heed the call, run to love, then live in it...